micugirl

Okay - well keep your head up & play the game! I have been practicing for 3.5 years now and love my job!! The one who said keep it in perspective-- you are not fighting on the front lines in war gave me incentive to jeep going. Trust me, my best friend dropped out, and still regrets it. Maybe you need to get a virus for a 4 day weekend pass to sit and think before you drop out. I had been on antidepressants that slowed me down too much & really didn't help, as well as antiacids and antianxiolytics -- it just came down to me vs failure . Do not leave unless they make you leave- like boot camp : YOU ARE PUN OF EVERY JOKE AND IF SOMETHING WRONG- STUDENT DID IT! Accept this as your short-term destiny until the longterm one kicks in after graduation -- I AM SUPER NICE TO MY SRNA's and decided I will NOT. Be abusive like people were to me. You do the same--contribute to betterment of mentors - not be part of your own demise. Hang in there- it's not war! Plus , I did so as a single parent!! Good luck! Focus on each new day as monotonous as it may become will suck a little less each day closer to graduation.

I am still in my program, and although I have the occasional run-into with the person that was abusive, I have tried to utilize everyone in the forum's advice here, and stick with it. I did try antidepressants, which did not help in that they gave me some bad side effects, so I had a few days off to contemplate more about what I should do. I realize that SSRI's are not the best thing to do if you are contemplating something, because they give you the weight on the decision factor to go ahead and do it...drop out. I stopped taking them, and tried to get to the root of my problem. Like Pete had said, I had a hard time swallowing my pride in many situations, but the truth of the matter is, they know most everything, and I know very little in this field that I did research and shadow for over 60 hours before applying to it. There is a lot of unspoken verbal and mental abuse that occurs, and yes, while it may make us not make that mistake, it is also breeding those of us who are not able to learn as much because it steals our focus to the way it is taught, rather than what we can learn, or try differently in our clincal site to experience more before graduating. I have both of the sources that were identified, and have had some Peds cases since, that I was told I was way over-prepared for, but I would rather be that , so that I can concentrate on those little precious creatures who are so much more important to us in their well-being. After about 30 more times, maybe I can do it with less sweating, but I will still continue to over-prepare. I am taking the other person's advice that was saying to go over the steps again and again in my head the night before, and that seems to be helping as well. Thank you very much for that as well. I know I will be great at this, and to me money is good, yes, but that is not why I chose to do this field, ...it is mainly because in my 4 years of critical care, I only had one person to pass, because I was so anal about preventing problems from happening, and he was a DNR. Thus, I thought this would be great as a career advancement, because you have to stay on top of the ball, but I guess I thought it would not be this hard to comglomerate with a group of people in the OR, and have to still do your job above all the bickering & cackling--just another day to them, except that they get to point out all of your mishaps in between their casual conversations of the day. This is probably how all rookies are treated, but I really thought I would handle it better. I am trying to get used to that , as well as, all the changes that come with this career as well...it is forever evolving...from cases to drugs that will be used, to policies, to add-on responsibilites, etc. I am still open for more tips, and I am trying to stay in the light!...and keep SWIMMING.

Thank you for your honest posting. I was wondering if there were any other factors that fed into your quitting. How were they making it harder on you? Verbal harrassment?, etc. I have started antidepressants, which I have never had to take in my life, and I am going to see what my assignments are for this weekend. Can anyone give me insights on Pediatric and OB set-ups--what you'd definitely expect to see in your student's rooom, regardless if they've had these pts before or not? I love everyone's helpful honesty and ability to be so candid. I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel right now,and I'm trying really hard--I'm hoping these drugs will help. My head's in the clouds all the time now, and the indecision is killing me, and my family (they have been so supportive). Does anyone know if you can claim bankruptcy on private loans for school, like the Sallie Mae?

Thank you everyone for your advice, and I am going to go in ths weekend (reluctantly) & see if anything changes. I just feel like I'm facing my own death everyday, and my Vital Signs & emotions go with that feeling. I cannot smother those either, Blanka. It's more not knowing what the heck to get in the room for which cases, and not having many Peds or any OB cases. This is my 3rd rotation, and soon there will come a time when it is expected for me to have had those cases, and be able to go it alone. I'll have call by myself coming this May, and I'm sure it will be OB ...well, I don't want to just be learning about it then. That is not fair to the pt. I guess I have self doubt, and think that so many of the other students are just saying how they are doing all these great cases, and I would be scared to do them, period.

Hi, I am looking for some friendly advice. I have the worst time with clinicals lately, being that we are a program that gets thrown in head first after 2 months of class. I thought it would be better in the local area, but this is my 3rd rotation, and have been grabbed, yelled at, and basically insulted every day that I am in clinical. Did anyone else please have a happy-ending story to this effect about when you were struggling through CRNA school that you will give me some hope. I am so depressing--crying every day that I am not sure it is for me--I think I would love the giving anesthesia part, but this mental torture is what is driving me crazy--I am going for antidepressants tomorrow. Please help!! Thanks

Ultimately, it appears you would have to trust a CRNA with a family member, because there are not enough of them to do all the cases needed to be done, unless you have one at your beck & call as a favor to the family.

In NC, our Nursing practice act allows CRNA's to practice independently, as long as another MD is present, but it does not have to be an anesthesiologist. Thus, in private practices, a CRNA can work under a cosmetic surgeon, although that surgeon usually knows little to nothing about the drugs & techniques of anesthesia.

I agree that Anesthesia is not for everyone, and now that I have had some practitioners that are considerate of our learning curve compared to the other students who have a year preload classes, then I have had a better time in clinical. I mean, I don't have it all down pat, and some of the methods of practice that come with a "feeling" and experience are still hazy. I can say I would be doing a pt injustice if I let my CRNA leave me alone with him or her at this point. The girl I am with explains her ability to do so is: "Just pretend like you know what you are doing even if you don't, and they'll leave you alone." That's just it--I don't want to pretend--I want to pick their brains full of knowledge as much as I can while I have them available, and thus, they may be getting the impression that I do not know much, but I am merely comparing the conglomerate of information to try to form my own technique. After my 3rd week completed (of 7 total days), I know enough to get them on the table after preop, induction, monitors, and intubation vs LMA. The rest is coming slowly. I usually work very well under pressure, and remain calm--it is this underground world of the OR that is taking me a while to adjust to it.

Yes, the "getting in everyone's way"-part is so true,and I can't do anything right, except get the intubations. The girl I am with feels like she has it down pat to the point they are leaving her alone in the room her 2nd week, but she has had a lot of new grads as her CRNA's, and they are typically nicer about our situation. I hope you are right in that it gets easier. It's like--okay I want to learn about how to do all of these new things, but I don't want to get yelled at the whole time I'm trying to get it, so it's discouraging.

I see your point deepz, and I think it must be stressful to have a student that knows so little throwing a wrench in your plan. Just maybe recommend to the schools that are sending their students to you, that maybe their students need certain guidelines before coming. This will lighten both your stress & theirs. It's not their fault for not being taught as well as some others. Try to remember that we are usually in a strange place without support, without the proper tools to take care of a person that needs a CRNA, and feel insecure enough. I found that one of the people that was with me was great--he actually gave reasons for the things he did: See one ...do one type, and not constantly yelling. We are already stripped of any ounce of dignity before we get to your bedside. Basically, you've been there, but there used to only be a few drugs & volatiles--now there are much more we have to learn.

Just know that they are very nice to you while you shadow,but it's a different world when you come in there to persue the CRNA career. They eat you alive!

Here's my thing ... I am in clinicals right now as SRNA, and I absolutely hate it. It is my first week, ...well, this will be my 2nd. But, the people that I was with were so cruel with their verbal & nonverbal, that I just cried the rest of the day after I left. I don't know why they have to be so mean. We are in a program that throws you in after 2 months of class, and they have other SRNA's that are front-loaded, so I am not sure if this is where the frustration is coming from...some insight or tips on how not to get on the CRNAs' nerves that have been doing it for a while. The new grads are great teachers to us, so I've heard, but it is though the one's that have all the knowledge want to keep it to themselves, and "eat their young". I was ready to quit--now I am going back this week for more abuse, b/c I've dedicated so much of my family's & my time into getting here, that i have to give it another shot. Plus, this is what my "dream-job" was, you know ... the parts I liked about ICU care. Any insight here guys?

In other words, you do not have a valid answer to explain how this deficit in patient care would be compensated by the AA?

I have a question. I am in CRNA school right now. I know there is a heated debate over the legilation of AA's here in this state, NC. What I would like to know is how do you replace the countless hours of monitoring the patient and the family at the bedside with an AA? I guess most CRNA's feel like there would be a missing link there with patient care, even though you have more medical school classes. We get most of out critical care knowledge from experience at the bedside, and research rather than a few medical books. How does this compare to the AA's experience prior to getting into into thier AA school to obtain their degrees?

I am in school right now...just started with a 3 year old, and I too, was worried about how to balance. As long as you can trust where your kids are when you are at school, and have a back-up for their sick days, then it's okay. It took me about a year to get these things straight. Good luck to you. You can do it. There's one girl who communtes over an hour to school & has 5 kids...now there's a tough one!